


Cawing Your Problems Away

by GintaxAlvissforever



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Flirting, Bad Puns, F/M, Family, For Fire Emblem Contest, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-16 22:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11261889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GintaxAlvissforever/pseuds/GintaxAlvissforever
Summary: The war with Walhart has ended and the army finally head back to the continent for peace and relaxation. Unfortunately, there is some tension on the way. Robin’s recklessness before the seize of the castle has caused a rift between her, Say’ri, Flavia and a few others. While Robin can justify her prioritizing her younger twin brother’s safety above all else, it doesn’t change she was given a huge responsibility and abused her position as Chrom’s tactician. While rumors go around the army about the punishment she might have to face, a certain dark mage has every intention of cheering Robin up…even if she isn’t in the mood for his puns.





	Cawing Your Problems Away

**Author's Note:**

> For #StrongerTogether suggested by a friend. Was given the permission to have both Robin’s as twins so I’m going to roll with that and do some expanding. Both Robin’s do have different supports depending on the person and handle situations differently but Awakening forces them to have the same attitude while not allowing them to actually think about the situation they are in. Enjoy! A quick reminder that male Robin is simply Rob and female Robin keeps her full name.

The war was over. Chrom and his army were victorious over Walhart. Castle Valm had been reclaimed and the people could return to their normal lives before the Conqueror came into the picture. The war was won with as few casualties the tactician Robin could muster. She was Chrom's trusty companion who Chrom trusted with his life. A master tactician like her was able to come up with brilliant plans that the enemy could never even dream of in order to tip the scales into their favor. Whether it was sinking an entire fleet down to distract the enemy or using a volcanic terrain to their advantage, Robin always had something in store for the enemy. During the Mad King's War, she was vital to defeating King Gangrel and ending his rein of terror. Robin was praised for her tactical prowess. With all the risks she had to make this war, praise was to be expected again. However, that wasn't the case.

As brilliant Robin was, her allies criticized for one crucial error she made that could have cost them the war. Robin had a younger twin brother named Rob. He was gifted like she was in terms of tactics but was overshadowed by her. Compared to her, he wasn't as open to his feelings and was more cynical than she was. It showed in his tactics too that did involve more casualties. He had no problem not being the main tactician though knowing full well that his sister could win a battle with the least amount of casualties. As long as Robin took some of Rob's advice, he had no problem being in her shadow's and doing the dirty work for her if he must.

Rob knew more about Robin than the others. He took pride in that. He knew she was capable of messing up like everyone else. Yet, he didn't want to be the reason the Shepherd's (and by proxy the whole army) found out that she was flawed. Robin had often expressed how logic was needed to be a successful tactician. Some of the things she had done in the past were cruel but was justified due to it being war. If backed into a corner, she would have no problem sacrificing others. She knew that even if she tried to save everyone. Alas, the problem stemmed when it affected her personally and it became apparent that she didn't practice what she preached.

Back in the Mad King's War, Robin did tell Chrom that his sister Emmeryn needed to be sacrificed in order to keep the Fire Emblem out of Gangrel's hand. Cold as it may be, the last thing Emm would have wanted was for her brother to give the Fire Emblem to the enemy. Chrom forgave Robin only because it was a spur of the moment after everything had gone wrong. However, this wouldn't be the only time Robin had suggested sacrificing others in order to continue on.

The next time would be with Basilio. She, Flavia and Lucina clearly did not want him to distract Walhart. Lucina stated that Basilio would die by the hands of Walhart should he charge recklessly into battle. He ignored her warning and went anyway but was accompanied by Flavia. If Robin had pushed hard enough, she could have stopped the West-Klan from dying in battle. She felt it was a necessity and she put her trust in him. Alas, it wasn't enough and he had fallen in battle.

Finally, Robin made it clear to Say'ri she would have to fight and potentially kill her brother in order to cause a breakthrough in the war. Yen'fay had betrayed her and the people of Chon'sin. There was no holding back. The former princess of Chon'sin did not hesitate to do battle with her brother but only realized too late that he did not go all out. He had made it easy for the army to push through the southern region due to his love. Had Say'ri known that, she would have been against Robin's idea of killing him and asked to capture him instead. The female tactician attempted to comfort her but Say'ri acknowledged it had to be done and initially dropped the subject.

Things were started looking up for Chrom's army. Word of Yen'fay's death spread like wildfire. People turned against Walhart so fast because they feared Yen'fay. The moment he died, people were happy to lend their support. With more areas being opened to the resistance, the army could rest before the big battle and gather supplies that they would need. It would be a long battle and they needed to be prepared. Rob went out to go purchase tomes for him and his sister in secret. Tiki noticed Rob left without telling his sister and pursued him. Robin had her hands full with going over the plans for the seize on Valm Castle, making her rounds with everyone in the camp and then checking the current supplies. Her weapon was the last on the list once she was certain everyone else would be okay. Rob had no problem going out of his way to get weapons for the both of them…even if he had to take some money that Robin told him not to use for personal reasons.

"It's for Sis. She won't mind too much." Rob had told Tiki when she approached him in the marketplace. Alas, he needed to get his tome first before his sister's. His tome would burn should he use it three more times. He had enough money for an Arch Thunder tome and a Bologone tome for his sister. Once he got those two tomes, he would sneak back into the camp and pretend that his sister already had the tomes ready for battle.

"Might I suggest you get a Rexcalibur? You're very efficient with how you handle the wind tomes."

"I could, but I prefer a tome that lasts longer over one with power. Plus, my sister won't be pleased if I spent my money on something that she feels isn't necessary."

The answer sounded nice but Tiki felt something was off. Rob had been silent about it but he had been feeling down as of late. He never bothered his sister with his problems and kept it in. It was subtle and it surprised Tiki how only a few people noticed. While Rob pretended nothing was bothering him, Tiki noted how he was looking at the staves while shopping. He wanted to purchase one but hesitated.

"Are you still considering hanging up your tactician robe for something else?" Tiki had asked. "You had this identity crisis before according to your sister…"

Rob flinched when Tiki spoke the truth. Eyes widened as he faced the Divine Dragon before avoiding staring at her in the eyes.

"Well…my healing skills are better than my sword skills." Rob admitted. "My sister is just so fluid with the blade that I can't compare. Lissa and Maribelle told me my healing abilities are exceptional, so I considered a class that could benefit everyone…and I don't think that's because of my ego…"

"I think you should not let others sway you to what you think is right."

Rob wanted to argue with Tiki. He couldn't because that was when things went to hell for him and later Robin.

Risen would appear and attack the town he was shopping in. Rob's memory was a blur of the incident. He only remembered telling Tiki to find his sister while he distracted the Risen. However, he failed to notice the Grima Cult were the ones ordering the Risen to attack the buildings. The Grima Cult was looking for one particular person. In Rob's mind he thought they were searching for his sister but apparently he was good enough for them. His tome had burned while defending himself against the Risen and got backed into a corner as a result. There was screaming and cursing…mainly from him when they had unarmed him and picked him off the ground like he was baggage and took him away. Rob wasn't physically strong so there wasn't anything he could do but scream for them to put him down and shouting for his sister to hurry up.

Robin never came and he had been taken away to an abandon building. Rob didn't know how long he was in there. It was hard to stay awake and remember what those jerks did (or tried) to do to him. If there was anything he remembered about that night, it was the face his sister made when she did come for him. It was a dark expression that Rob had never seen before. In the darkness, Robin appeared to have gained many eyes as she cast her spells on the men who attempted to harm her brother. He blacked out after his sister had killed everyone in the room. Rob closed his eyes relived that the last thing he would see if he were to die was his sister.

When he woke up, he was sleeping in his tent like the previous day was just a dream. Dawn was on the horizon but he felt something was wrong. He looked to the side and saw his sister sleeping beside him. Rob's eyes widened but he chose not to do anything. It had been years since the two had slept together in a tent. Being an adult meant letting go of those childish desires. Rob wouldn't be able to relish in this familial feeling for long because Robin would soon wake up. Black rings under her eyes but she still forced a smile.

"Good morning sleepy head."

Rob just chuckled. He failed to understand how much stress he put on his sister. He only learned that he had been out for most of the night and Robin insisted she stay with him until he woke up. This meant that she would have to rush to get everything ready. They were going to storm Castle Valm. Rob's heart sank upon being told this. Yes, he could ask Tharja for a back-up tome (and he did) but the problem was that he didn't realize how exhausted he made his sister. He wouldn't know until the battle finished.

Rob learned that he had nearly jeopardized everything. Those who recently joined didn't tell him in the kindest manner. He scowled at them when they glared at him while marching to Castle Valm. He hated how these nobodies thought that they had the right to judge him for what his sister did. He didn't have all the details. He focused on the battle and intended to make it up to his sister by getting rid of as many enemies as possible.

He would learn that those who went with Robin the previous night were at risk of getting severely injured or even killed. If Chrom or Lucina were to fall in battle because of Robin's selfishness, all the blame would be on her. She was lucky that wasn't the case and things had gone smoothly with only a few casualties. The battle was won and there would be a celebration. Alas, Robin would not be able to bathe in the glory for contributing to the victory. No. A combination of aristocrats who only allied themselves with Chrom's Army after Yen'fey fell in battle and the comrades that Robin had criticized in the past were her harshest critics. Chrom wanted to stop them and focus on the celebration but Flavia couldn't let Robin off the hook.

Robin had to attend the meeting that was meant to berate her actions. While the white haired tactician could handle the criticism of Flavia and Say'ri who were her allies (and she rightfully deserved it from them), hearing the random people who forced their way into this meeting to call her out was insulting. Chrom was there in an attempt to ease the tension but he only made the situation worse.

Rob had snuck into the meeting to hear what they would say to his sister. He changed his outfit so no one would recognize him. With how he was the twin everyone ignored, it was very easy to do.

"What were you thinking Robin?" Flavia asked trying to control her temper. "We told you that it would be foolish to risk fighting the night before the battle. What would have happened if Chrom died?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Chrom started but his voice got drowned out.

"Flavia, I understand that you are disappointed in me. I made a decision and I had every intention of taking responsibility. Walhart is dead so now I can."

"…What would have happened if your plan failed?" Flavia questioned. She threw the hard-hitting questions at her. "We would all be dead. Basilio's sacrifice would have been in vain…and you approved of Basilio marching to his death."

"He knew what would happen and chose to serve as a distraction." Robin reminded her. "If there was another way in which Basilio wouldn't have to be used as a distraction, I would have done it."

Flavia would have continued but the aristocrats who acted like they knew what was going on butted in.

"You may be the tactician of the army but abusing your status to save your deadweight of a brother is unheard of."

Rob flinched. Being called "deadweight" hurt.

"He is not deadweight!" Robin snapped. She tried her best to control her temper but that was impossible when her brother was involved. "What kind of tactician would leave a family member to die?"

"We are at war. His foolishness had nothing to do with the Valm Empire."

"You let yourself be distracted over a personal issue."

"Why didn't you leave that brat to die? We would have had no casualties if you didn't bother to go after him yesterday."

"What would you know-" Robin started but shut her mouth. She needed to take this.

And then Say'ri said her piece. "With all due respect, Robin, you told me in order to succeed that sometimes we have to sacrifice our family. I had to be the one to slay my brother…but you go out of your way to get your brother out of harm's way."

"He's an important asset to the army no matter what people think." Robin defended. "If I were to make preparations, he would double check it for me. He may not be the main tactician but his role is equally important to mine."

Whispers amongst her allies only infuriated Robin. She fought to protect her home from Walhart. She wasn't here to be judged on her decision to save her brother.

"Why would she make an excuse like that?"

"What a hypocrite."

"I still find it hard to believe we're all alive."

Chrom finally stepped in. "If you have a problem with Robin, address me as well."

Robin could handle the complaints fine. She didn't need Chrom to make things worse. "Chrom…I-"

"I trust Robin with my life." Chrom declared. "Robin has done nothing but made decisions that allowed us to overcome our enemies. I cannot sit here and watch my friend be berated for showing concern over her only family member."

"Chrom…"

Rob was surprised too but he felt like Chrom missed the point of why even Flavia and Say'ri were upset with Robin.

"This has nothing to do with trust." Flavia spoke. "This has to do with Robin willing to abandon her mission. Family or not, it's irresponsible and unprofessional."

Flavia was only on Robin again because of Basilio. If he weren't dead, she would be supporting and defending Robin. It felt odd how Flavia failed to understand why Robin cared for her brother so much. Yes, Rob was the annoying little brother to some people but he didn't deserve to die.

"We're all alive at the end of the day. Why not celebrate that?"

Why not? Unfortunately, people only care here to complain. Robin hated the chattering going on. Why couldn't these people be grateful that they were liberated from Walhart? Why did they need to put her down? It was senseless. Robin scanned the room and saw her brother hiding behind one of the taller people. The male tactician blended in so well that it wasn't a surprise he was here to eavesdrop on the conversation. He had a big scowl on his face and wasn't happy either.

"Robin, just don't act on your own interest again." Flavia warned her. "There will be a time when things don't go according to plan and you will have nothing to blame but yourself."

 _I already messed up once!_ Robin wanted to scream. She wanted to bring back terrible memories of watching Chrom's sister throw herself off a cliff to save them all. She never figured out how everything went so wrong with her carefully plotted plan. Robin worked harder to prevent anyone close to her from dying like that again. She succeeded in saving Rob even if she had to get her hands dirty. The fact she was being lectured on something that had common sense versus the incident of her only failed plan said a lot about the people in the room.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand."

Rob ducked his head and exited the room. Robin wished to reach out to her brother hoping he would step in and stick up for himself. He was gone like the wind. Chrom failed to see Rob was in the room and focused on his best friend who needed some cheering up. Hopefully the celebration would do just that…

* * *

Rob couldn't sleep. He hasn't been able to sleep for the past couple of days. Here everyone could finally relax now that Walhart had been defeated and here he was tossing and turning every night. He couldn't get the incident out of his mind…the one that could have potentially caused the army to lose the war.

The male tactician slowly unrolled his sleeve and glared at the marking stuck to his arm. If he weren't careless, no one would have seen this marking. If the Grima Cult didn't see his marking, he wouldn't have gotten kidnapped. If he weren't kidnapped, his sister would not have risked jeopardizing the turning point of the war. Robin was amazing so she was able to save him and be able to help Chrom lead the Shepherds to victory. That wouldn't stop the whispering and the accusations thrown at him and his sister.

_"They're trying to get us all killed!"_

_"What a useless tactician if he can't protect himself."_

_"He's a spy, isn't he?"_

_"He had the same marking as those cult members, right? Isn't he dangerous."_

_"Stay away from him."_

_"Oh, he's looking at us. Pretend we're not talking about him."_

Try as he might, Rob could not drown the voices that had been back talking him and his sister. Compared to his sister, he was better at drowning out the criticism thrown at him. He had accepted that his elder sister was better than him at everything and to stop trying to be better than her. It just hurt if he dragged her down because of his carelessness. All he had to do was have an extra tome on him and he wouldn't have been cornered to begin with.

"…This isn't working…" Rob told himself as he finally sat up. "…I need air."

Celebration was over and everyone would be packing their things and moving back tomorrow. Rob would be glad to return to Ylisse. He could return to the room in the castle Chrom gave him and lock himself inside. The mockery would die down and then he could pretend his screw up never happened.

Becoming a hermit would have to wait. The army would take three days to a week to return home and that wasn't counting the time to stop to help citizens, setting up camp for the night or when information about a child from Lucina's future came up. Rob might as well take the time to be alone before he marched with people he didn't feel like associating with.

And yet, the male tactician headed toward a particular tent. He complained to himself about wanting to be alone but he needed to speak to someone before he drove himself crazy. Someone he could trust to keep his inner emotions a secret.

Rob kept his head down just so no one would notice him leave his tent and heading over to someone' else tent. The last thing he wanted was for people to accuse him of sneaking into Chrom's tent. The people in the army who resented him were always the first to throw accusations at him. Why were people so interested in his personal life?

"Virion, are you asleep?"

Rob didn't want to yell but he needed to be loud enough so Virion couldn't ignore him. Then again, Virion could actually be asleep or not be in the tent.

 _Or he's with his Cherche and I'm interrupting their time together._ Rob thought darkly to himself. "Virion?"

"I'm asleep." A voice said rather groggily.

"I'm coming in." Rob said while rolling his eyes.

If Virion were with anyone in the tent, he would have chased Rob out. If he were asleep, he wouldn't have responded. Otherwise a witty remark would be Rob's response. Rob sighed in relief that Virion was still awake. If he waited any longer, Virion would be asleep.

"How rude." Rob could hear Virion grumble. "It is time for my beauty sleep and you choose to barge in."

"You can get some sleep when I'm done here." Rob began. He didn't care if Virion was still lying down. He took a seat next to him. "You can play chess with me, right?"

"You want to play now?"

Rob looked and noticed that the archer didn't even acknowledge his presence. A scowl threatened to appear on Rob's face thinking he was being ignored.

"I want to play now."

"We can play when we get back to Ylisse. We have been marching back home for a while now."

Even though Virion said that, he forced himself to sit up to observe the young tactician. Rob nagged him in the middle of the night to play chess but he knew better.

"You could always tell me that you want to talk."

"I don't want to talk though…" Rob murmured. He wasn't fooling anyone especially not his friend.

Virion made that laugh that always annoyed Rob to no end. Even if the former duke was half-asleep a few minutes ago he forced himself to be awake for a friend.

"Rob, you can't hide anything from moi." Virion said with a smirk. "You can tell me the real reason why you're here. Or would you like me to guess?"

"I want to play…" Rob repeated.

"Don't tell me, you have finally fallen for my charms and have come to confess."

"I do need to talk to you." Rob confessed swiftly the moment that subject got brought up. "And no, stop thinking I'll fall for a man who wears a bib."

"It's a cravat you brat." Virion snarked. He was completely awake now from Rob's insult. "Sit down here if you want to talk and make it quick. I need my beauty sleep."

Rob obeyed without a witty retort. He needed to figure out how he was going to put his problems into words. Virion read him like a book. It would not matter if he hesitated once he did sit down next to the older man. The words weren't coming to him like he had hoped and he ended up sitting in silence while Virion waited for him to respond.

"…Am I a burden?" Rob finally managed to ask.

"Hmm? What makes you think that?"

"…Even though we took back the entire continent and beat Walhart…I still feel like I let everyone down."

Virion adjusted his seating position. He knew exactly what Rob was referring to.

"Why would you believe that? You pulled your weight in that battle."

"…I'm talking about when the Grima Cult…" Rob's voice trailed off. "I apologize for my carelessness…"

"You already apologized. Why do you need to apologize again?"

Virion had no reason to be upset with Rob. The male tactician didn't see it that way. In fact, the snowy haired tactician thought that Virion would look down on him after the incident. For all the talk they had over tactics and what would be the best for the army, Rob did fall on the short end of the stick. The fact Virion was one of the people that joined with Robin to save him only added to the humiliation.

"I caused you, Sis, Chrom and the others so much trouble…" Rob muttered to himself. "And I still am now…"

"Are you letting the other soldiers get to you?" Virion asked. "When did you care about rumors?"

"…They think I got kidnapped on purpose…they think I'm a spy…they…"

"Are senseless rumors." Virion finished. "The people of Valm are fickle people, no? They were against us weeks ago and when Robin showed her tactical prowess, they come back to our side. Surely, these people shouldn't mean a thing to you."

Virion always had good points. Rob just didn't want to admit it.

"Aren't you bothered by it?" Rob asked darkly. "The mark on my arm…doesn't it mean anything to you?" The tactician shook his head in annoyance. "Virion, you're smart. You surely know why the Grima Cult abducted me…"

Silence filled the tent. Rob hoped Virion had a quick answer like he always did. Instead, he stared at him with an intensity that it caused the tactician to shudder.

"I have heard of rumors." Virion admitted. "That cult you speak of is known for abducting people and forcing them to join."

"You probably heard the rumors of me being part of that cult too."

Virion continued to stare at him with such an intensity that Rob had to ask himself why he kept insisting Virion tell him what he wanted to hear.

"Are you?"

Rob shook his head. "No…but this mark…it reminds me of my place in Plegia…"

Virion had his suspicions that the tactician twins weren't from Ylisse. Besides Chrom, everyone assumed that the twins were from Plegia due to their unusual hair color. That might have been an odd thing to think but people in Plegia usually had two sets of hair color. You either had black or white hair. Of course there were brunettes and the exceptional redhead but the point stood that those with snow colored hair originated from Plegia. You only needed to look at Henry to see the proof of the theory.

"Do you associate yourself with them?"

"No!" Rob exclaimed. "Ylisse is my home now! There is no way I would be a traitor…"

Being labeled a traitor made Rob feel nauseous. After all he has done, those who didn't know him would sling those words around just to make him and his sister look bad. Virion could be heard groaning but Rob wasn't listening to the archer anymore.

"Tell me Rob," Virion began, "why are you here if you know you are not a traitor? You weren't the type to listen to naysayers before. Why now?"

"…"

"It has to do with Robin, no?"

"It does…"

Virion finally got the response he wanted from Rob. The male tactician sat there frustrated that he couldn't get the answer he wanted in comparison. Virion really was a man of wits.

"Do tell."

"…I just wanted to help my sister." Rob confessed. "Everyone has put more pressure on her as of late after how she handled the Mad King's War. I just wanted her to know I was still helping her. I just wanted to purchase a tome and everything…and I get kidnapped for all of my troubles. She even had to bail me out and take the blame for my carelessness…"

"You have a good sister."

Rob wasn't expecting such a compliment. His cheeks started to turn pink. Proud was the word Rob was looking for when describing his mood. However, it wasn't the time to be happy.

"I'm not a good brother."

"Who is saying that?"

Rob wants to say everyone. That's not true. Just the people who recently joined the resistance and were fickle with their opinions as they were with how quickly they shifted sides…and these people just wanted to be on the winning side. How could they get in his sister's good grace if he was in the way?

"Let me rephrase that question. Are the people saying these things important?"

"No…" Rob mumbled quietly. He failed to realize that he had pulled his knees up to his chest. "…But Sis…"

"Would you think Robin is the type of person to say such a thing?"

"No…" Rob slowly looked up toward Virion. He was smirking now. "Sis has an ego and says things she doesn't mean but…"

"She would never call her brother useless." Virion finished. "She is the one who insisted on rescuing you at the cost of losing her position and even the war. A lady like her is vicious if family is involved."

Rob glanced down again avoiding Virion's gaze. "…We only have each other. Our father is…that bastard…"

The young tactician refused to change the topic about the current King of Plegia. Virion understood the implication and left it at that. The former duke took a seat next to Rob. The tactician did not budge and continued to stare into his kneecaps.

"Your sister is strong." Virion continued. "When she found out about your abduction and she was told she must abandon you, she was willing to throw in the towel. She was willing to pursue the cult all by herself if she couldn't bring anyone else along." Virion laughed. "Of course, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't lend her an assistance?"

"You're very kind." Rob told him. "I imagine that besides Chrom, you volunteered first for my sister's sake."

"Well…" Virion's voice trailed off. "Assisting Lady Tactician is part of being a gentleman but I wouldn't abandon a friend in need."

That caught Rob off guard. "Huh?!"

"Whom would I play chess with if something were to happen to you?"

Virion quickly masked his concern with a petty question. Rob heard what he said before that. He just didn't think someone would call him friend to his face that wasn't Chrom. Rob had a difficult time making friends with the male allies in Chrom's army. It might have been because he was so closed off. It might have been because he searched for someone with a similar intellect as him. Alas, only Virion really fit his image even if he was incompetent at times. To hear a cocky man like him consider the inferior tactician as a friend…

"Rob, you have grown quiet? Have I touched your heart?"

He didn't get a response. Instead, he was greeted with something that sounded like a sniffle. His façade broke temporarily thinking he messed up.

"Rob?"

"…To answer your question…yes."

Virion could barely hear the younger male next to him with how he was mouthing to his legs instead of to him. Rob was shaking. He needed a hug…

"I didn't think anyone else would consider me a friend…" Rob admitted weakly. "Sorry…I'm being sappy and emotional. Just give me a minute and we'll go back to our snarky banter…"

The former duke waited for Rob to collect himself. However, there was nothing else he needed to tell the male tactician. His friend found the answer he needed while conversing with him. That was what Virion wanted. Rob needed to realize that only those close to him matter. People would not have flocked at the opportunity to save him when Robin was threatened if that were the case.

"Thank you…Virion…"

Virion chuckled at Rob's weak thanks. There was no need to speak anymore. He would wait for Rob to cheer up before they continued their playful banner.

* * *

Rob may have had a friend to lean on when he was stressed but Robin wasn't as lucky. Robin got along with the army but she couldn't open up to that many people in comparison. Yes, she had Chrom but that was about it. That was before he married. Once Chrom settled down, Robin couldn't sneak into his tent and talk with him all night. Those days felt like a dream. Robin needed to ask one of the girls for help. There was always Tharja but Robin always had this feeling that Tharja gave better advise to her brother instead of her who she gushed over. Olivia might have been nice. She was the new queen after all. Robin declined the idea realizing that she needed to look infallible to the shy queen.

With no one to turn to, the best thing she could do is scream into her pillow and hope no one walked past her tent and heard her. Of course someone or something had to hear her become a harpy that viciously harmed her pillow. Robin glared at the tent entrance and saw a black crow had found its way inside. It hopped around looking for something in the tent. Robin was far from amused.

"Go away." She hissed as she threw the pillow at the crow. The crow's reflexes were quick so it hopped out of the way before flying out of the tent. She knew who was at the entrance of her tent and she wasn't pleased. "Same goes for you Henry."

"Awwww. How did you know it was me?"

Robin rolled her eyes. The odd Plegian mage (and punster) got on her nerve on multiple occasions. Tonight was no different. Common sense was what this man lacked. She did not tell him to come into her tent, but here he was letting his crow come in first before making his way in.

"Henry, I did not tell you that you could come into my tent." Robin snarled. "Leave."

"Awwww. I sense a disturbance in the air." Henry whined even though he had that stupid smile on his face. "My crow got hit by a flying pillow!"

"Whose fault is that…" Robin groaned. She was exhausted. She couldn't deal with the bundle of energy in front of him. "What do you want?"

"Oh? I was just going to check up on you." Henry responded honestly. "I don't want you working yourself to death. Tee-hee~ I'll be the first to watch that though."

"Ha ha ha…very funny…"

She really wasn't in the mood for puns. Her mood was at an all time low. Her muscles were sore from fighting and her throat was sore from yelling. She just needed to sleep.

"You do look like a Risen. Shall I check to make sure you haven't died on us?"

Even though he was joking, Robin did not want to deal with him. She stood up despite her legs being shaky. The female tactician needed to direct Henry to the exit of her tent. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to do that. Upon taking the first step, she stumbled and nearly hit her head. Henry was there to catch her.

"Easy there. You would be having an ear splitting headache if I wasn't here."

Robin had nothing to say. She was distracted. She didn't understand why her heart raced being in the dark mage's arms. Robin didn't even have the strength to push him away. Henry did notice something was up and helped her back onto her mattress.

"You seem ready to explode." Henry said with a laugh. "I'll wait."

Robin eyed him suspiciously but sighed. Henry was giving her a chance but he wondered if he was the listening type.

"Can I?"

Henry giggled thinking she would blow up for real. However, he didn't expect her to snap at him.

"I'm tired! I just want to go back to Ylisse and sleep! I want to go to bed and not wake up for a week! I want to forget those asshats for talking down on my brother! I want to go back to that place and make sure those cult jerks are really dead! I don't need them coming back for my brother! I wish Chrom would let me fend for myself when I'm dealing with constructive criticism of my tactics! I wish I could talk to someone else not Chrom about my problems! Why am I even complaining to you! You're just going to laugh at me again!"

Robin still had other things she wanted to scream about. She chose not to. She got most of the problems off her chest in one breath. Henry opened his eyes. Clearly, he was impressed.

"You held all of that in?" He asked her. The tone was still light-hearted but there was a hint of worry in it.

"I'm the main tactician. I can't complain."

"Well, you just did. Nya-ha."

Robin noticed that the crow that had perched itself on Henry's back had flew off. It didn't take her venting well like Henry was.

"Did you listen to me because I asked you to?"

"Of course!" Henry responded happily. "I told you, didn't I? I'll do whatever you ask me to." His expression saddened for a moment. Robin noticed. "If you told me to go with you to save your bro, I would have done it…"

Robin didn't ask Henry to help. She wanted to but chose Tharja over him. Henry was going to be a big help in the battle against Walhart. She had intentions of teaming with him. She had already made a mental note to assign Virion to watch over Rob when the rescue mission was all said and done. (She wanted Rob to sit out of the battle but knew that there would be an even greater backlash on his end if she made him rest during an important point of the war). Henry took it well…or she thought he did. Then again, Henry laughed to hide his true feelings. It annoyed her to say the least. When Olivia could get stuff out of him and she couldn't…

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to trouble you." Robin apologized halfheartedly. She wanted to save face. Henry saw through it but did not call her out on it.

"You never trouble me Robin." Henry reminded her. "If you were trouble, I would be a disaster."

"…That was awful."

"Tee-hee…"

Great. Now there was this awkward aura in the air again. Robin wanted Henry out of her tent again. The last thing she wanted was for their new "allies" to spread rumors about her strange relationship with the odd Plegian Mage. If rumors of the tactician twins being spies for Plegia were bad, try adding Henry into the equation. It would be a bloodbath.

"Robin, are you still mad?" Henry asked her. "If you want, I can hex whoever is causing you stress."

"Don't." Robin ordered. "I told you there is no point in sacrificing the lives of others."

"But it would be for your sake. The war is done. So what you said before doesn't count!" Henry said with a laugh.

"…It wouldn't solve the issue." Robin grumbled. "Believe me…I might take you up on your offer…but I already made enemies."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I get it. We're on the same side. Everyone wanted Walhart gone…but…I hate people who show up at the end to reign in on the glory and then trample everything I had done because of one mistake…"

The dark mage tilted his head. "Do you think saving your brother was a mistake?"

"Hell no!" Robin cursed. "I thought all the Risen were gone. If I'd had known that wasn't the case, he wouldn't have been taken to begin with." Robin felt a migraine returning to her. "I wanted to correct my mistake…but I was so mad with everything. I was told to abandon the only family I had left…and I know I had told Say'ri that killing a family member is sometimes essential in a war. I couldn't follow through with my own words and could have gotten everyone killed."

"You didn't though."

"I know. It was luck. They had to rub it in that without luck, everyone would be dead."

The smile disappeared from Henry's face finally. "…Hmm?"

"Chrom defended my actions but I'm a fool. As a tactician, I must control my emotions and lead everyone to victory. Yet…I let my emotions get the best of me."

"Rob's your bro though. No problems there."

Robin's shoulders slumped. If the snowy haired tactician paid attention to Henry's expression, she would see he opened his eyes. Robin wasn't the type to sound so defeated even though their Chrom's army came out victorious in the end.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut to be a tactician." Robin mumbled. "People bash my brother because he's not as good as me…but he doesn't let his emotions get the best of him. He's cold and callous when he needs to be…but I couldn't do the same thing. I had to save my brother knowing full well it risked everyone who went with me."

"…That doesn't make you bad." Henry told her sternly. Robin noticed the tone in his voice shifted. "It makes you human."

"H-Huh?"

"You ain't a puppet or a Risen or a dragon. You're Robin. The strong, cool-headed tactician that comes up with awesome plans to kill the enemy team. You make it rain blood and I love it!"

"Uh…is that supposed to be a compliment…"

"Let Rob be Rob and you be you. You are twins but are good at different things. Let Rob be the quiet assassin from the shadows and you be the main attraction."

Robin felt her cheeks get hot. Why did that sound like something Virion would say?

"And remember, if you want them silenced, I will be the first one to do it for you."

"Tharja might have beaten you to that and she doesn't listen to me unlike you."

"…Well darn." Henry finally said before laughing again. He returned to his usual cheerful self. "If Tharja already hexed them without me knowing, I guess I'll have to pile onto the hexes."

"Please don't…" Robin muttered. "The less dead bodies, the better."

"Awww…you're no fun."

Robin wanted to say something else but then glanced at the entrance of her tent again. Paranoia ate at her again thinking someone could be listening in and misunderstanding the situation. Henry needed to leave.

"I'm glad you allowed me to talk to you Henry but you have to leave."

Henry didn't sound all too thrilled. Still, it wasn't his tent. He could be bold and ask if he could stay but Robin would just punch him in the chest and kick him out after beating him. Henry wouldn't mind a bit. Then again, he wasn't Chrom so he didn't get the special beating treatment he did.

"Please. We're not married." Robin told him softly. "I don't want a scandal piled on another scandal."

"We could always get married here." Henry hummed. He gave a genuine laugh seeing how flustered Robin got.

"W-What? No! I'm not that life! No way! Nope!"

"But we would have a kid of our own. Chrom having Lucina and Inigo isn't fairrrrr!"

"Leave Henry!"

Henry got up on his own. He didn't want Robin to get out of bed again. She needed her rest. Glee filled his heart knowing that the anger that Robin held in had been released. It wasn't coming back any time soon.

"Fine. But just so you know Robin, if you ever want to start a family, you know where to find me. Then it wouldn't just be you and Rob. You would have another person to rely on."

Robin paused. The idea…did sound nice. Unfortunately, she needed to prioritize the safety of Chrom's army back to the continent. If things settle down, maybe…just maybe she would try the idea of romance. For now…

"Sorry Henry. You're too weird for me."

Robin said this with a huge grin on her face. Henry saw that and knew she would take him on the offer when given the opportunity. His cheeks were now red from her compliment/insult. He had butterflies in his stomach and loved it.

"Tee-hee. I'll ask your brother's opinion about me then."

"I swear if you try to get my brother's approval, I will be the one to hex you!"

Henry already left her tent at this point. Robin wanted to throw a pillow at the back of his head. Alas, it was still on the ground when she hit his crow. She had to get up again just to get the pillow. The young tactician flopped back onto the mattress with the pillow in hand. The pillow's life was spared because of the strange dark mage. Even if she didn't appreciate talking about her problems to others, she slowly smiled into the pillow. Henry's words got to him. She closed her eyes and started to doze off.

"Thank you Henry. You are someone I can rely on after all."

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Done with 8396 words. Notes!
> 
> 1\. The character focus is mainly on Robin (the concept of them being twins. In game, you can recruit other tacticians to join but in this scenario, the twins were found together but female Robin woke up first and became the main character. The male Robin tags along as an extra unit that makes him as important as his female counterpart). Henry is also important despite having a decent backstory I feel. However, I felt his support with Robin was rather lack luster and was capable of having serious moments. As a result, I decided that creating a slow-burn scenario with these two would make the A to S support more believable in game. Henry spreads his odd charm to the other female characters. Why not allow him to actually charm Robin realistically when she's stressed out?
> 
> 2\. I always elaborate on Rob's issue. He often compares himself to his sister and feels inferior. The scenario is set up to where he is mistaken as Grima's vessel by the Grima Cult and gets kidnapped the day before Chrom's army decides to storm the castle. Robin risks ruining everything by taking a small group to save her brother and while she is successful, she acted out of line. The scene does play out similar to the chapter in Radiant Dawn with the Dawn Brigade except with more on the line and being a good reason to be mad. Rob doesn't feel good about himself and with the misconception that he is Grima's vessel and potentially a traitor, he ends up keeping to himself. His minor sub-plot with Virion allows differentiating how he and Robin think differently in terms of tactics and why his sister is the main tactician and he's the backup one.
> 
> 3\. How the Robin twins cope with stress is different. Both boil it in but Rob is willing to talk it out while Robin blows up if pushed.


End file.
